Aeromarine torpedo.



1. "A. STEINMETZ.

AEROMARINE TORPEDO.

- APPLICATION FILED "AR. 7, I916. 1,223,212. Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Qumwxtoz J. A. STEINMETZ.

AEHOMARINE TURPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1; ms

1,223,212. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 1 I wirtmeoo W4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. STEINME'IZ,-0F PHILADELPHIA, N'NSYIIVANIA.

annomanma 'ronriino.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr A. STEINMETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeromarine Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and inexpensive means whereby directly a boat from which a torpedo is suspended. y

Fi 4 shows the same devices with the mid le portion of the towline resting upon an attacked vessel.

Fig. 5 illustrates the action of the devices in attacking a vessel protected by nets.

In these views, A represents any vessel to be attacked, B a hydro-aeroplane, C a small pontoon-like boat from which a contact bomb or torpedo D is suspended by cables E near its ends, respectively. Theboat C is preferably a shell rovided with a propeller F upon a shaft tated through gearing H by a suitable line or cable I, preferably a piano wire or the like, wound upon a large drum J and passing out of the shell through a suitable eye K, then through an eye at the end of a lever L, and thence to the hydro-aeroplane B. The lever L is centrally pivoted at M and when its outer end is swung downward by the descent of the wire, the lower or inner end of the lever swings against the drum J locking it against rotation.

If the hydro-aeroplane be moving near the water or upon the water as indicated in Fig. 3, the drum J is locked and the boat and bomb may be towed for any distance at any speed without material rotation of the drum. It is thus a simple matter to carry the torpedo, by -means of the aeroplane, anywhere on the seaat high speed if Specification of Letters Patent.

which is ro- Patented A r. 17, 1917'.

Application filed March}, 1916. Serial No. 82 .666.

are too large to be carried in theair by the flying craft. 'Nhen the apparatus approaches a vesstl to be attacked, the hydroaeroplane rises, as indicated in. Fig. 1, and passes far above such vessel. In such case the swinging of the lever to the position of fulllines in Fi g. 2, releases the drum and the pull of the 1 apidly flying machine above unwinds the W: re from the drum, rapidly rotating the lati er and causing the propeller to force the pi mtoon to advance rapidly while it is gui led by the flying machine. Whenever the f ying machine moving at its necessarily high speed withdraws the wire from the drum the latter is rotated with great rapidity and the boat is advancedb the pull of the wire and also by the big speed of the pr )peller, and should the wire' tance and may I probably insure the destruction of the attacked vessel. Should the pontoon be suddenly stopped by a guard net N or the like, the momentum of the torpedo will carry it farward below the net and cauise it to strilze the side of the vessel, the cab es E being longer than the usual depth of a net. The v ire being small, a very great length may be wound on the drum, yet at any time the supply may be conserved if the flying boat descends either when mere transportation is desired, as indicated in Fig. 3, or when the attacking hydro-aero plane has pass ad to some distance beyond the attacked vessel as shown in Fig. 4. If the wire has fallen across the attacked vessel as shown, lapid advance of the hydroaeroplane upon the water will'quickly draw the boat agair stthe vessel. If the wire has not fallen upon the vessel the flying machine may move in any direction upon the water with out causing further unwinding of the wire, towing the torpedo, if necespedo, and indeed the air craft may cause this advance while itself moving in the opposite direction.

The rate at which the wire is drawn from the drum is' controlled by the aviator, and thus both the speed and direction of the torpedo are under his control. It is quite possible by the use of large vessels or otherwise, to provide several boat-supported tor pedoes in the same vicinity, and a flying boat may select any of these, or several in succession, to be engaged and used in attack, as described.

It is to be, noted that the torpedo is of the simplest character, made quickly and at such low cost that its lossis not usually, for any reason, serious.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a small boat, of a torpedo sus ended from the boat, a propeller supporte by the boat, a distant flylng machine, a cable connecting theboat to the flying machine to allow the latter to tow the boat and torpedo, and means whereby the cable may. by tractive force of the flying machine actuate the ropeller.

2; In a paratus of the c ass described, the

combination with a flying machine provided with a depending cable, of a small boat, a propeller carried by the boat and driven by force exerted through the cable by the flying machine, means whereby the aviator may at will cause said force to drive the ropeller or to advance the boat by simp e towing action? and a contact torpedo suspended from the boat.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a small boat provided with a propeller, of a drum arranged to impart its own rotation to the propeller shaft, a cable wound upon the drum, and a contact torpedo suspended from the boat, whereby traction on the cable rotates the propeller and advances the boat and torpedo.

4. The combination with a hydro-aeroplane, of a small boat and a contact torpedo suspended therefrom, of a propeller for the boat, a drum arranged to impart its own rotation to the propeller shaft, a cable wound upon the drum and attached to the hydroaeroplane, and means whereby variation in elevation of the hydro-aeroplane locks and releases the drum, thus causing the cable to act as a simple towline or to drive the propeller.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. CHALMEns, S. A. PARKE. 

